We are so thankful to V.I.P. for helping to make our family complete by providing us a devoted service dog for our son. He has struggled with many behaviors due to his autism spectrum disorder but we could not be more pleased with the changes we have seen since we have received our service dog placement a short time ago. They are a perfect forever team! Donna as well as our trainer have been incredibly supportive throughout the entire process. Their expertise is evident as well as their compassion for the individuals & families they serve. Since receiving our dog, it truly feels like a new world has been opened up to us!

Guinness and Gunner are doing great! Can't say enough about how much we ADORE Guinness. What a difference he has made in our world already! They are doing awesome! Gunner is sleeping thruy the night for the first time in his ENTIRE life with Guinness by his side. Gunner says that Guinness "solves all his problems"

VIP connects service animals to folks who may be differently abled. The dogs are quality pups from breeders throughout the Midwest. These breeders share the same VIP vision: to assist people with different abilities enhance their activities of daily living with a well trained service animal that meets the needs of the client.

My experience with VIP has been amazing. They are truly a wonderful organization who prides themselves with matching the right dog with someone in need. Donna is so great!! Always checking on her foster families and their dogs making sure we did not have any problems/concerns we need answered. Everyone in the organization are truly wonderful caring people who want nothing more but to help others. Having 2 special needs kids myself I have seen what a huge impact these service dogs have in our lives. I have and will continue to send families who's lives would be enriched by one of their service dogs. Keep up the great work!!

In order to understand the impact that Hunter, my son’s VIP Service Dog, has had on my son, you first need to be introduced to what it’s like to BE my son.
Caden is my 10 year old son who has a rare condition called Osteogenesis Imperfecta (OI) aka Brittle Bone Disorder. That means that his bones are so weak that they fracture under little stress. There is no known cure.
He came into the world at 31 1/2 weeks fighting for his life. He came very close to losing the fight once or twice. At 4 months, he was diagnosed and it was discovered that, at that point, he had already fractured both ankles, his right arm, his left leg and his ribs at different places. He goes on to have multiple fractures and surgery through the years. This past summer, he suffered multiple spinal compression fractures and has had to undergo painful, experimental treatment in an attempt to increase his bone density. He is currently preparing for another round of treatment.
At school, he continues to receive therapy and is assigned a one on one aid to keep him safe and provide assistance. His condition forces him to keep distance from his peers for safety reasons.
Caden and Hunter were matched almost 2 years ago. It was a difficult match to make because the dog that he needed had to be exceptionally gentle yet strong. VIP found the perfect dog and provided the circumstances to make everything work.
Now, Caden and Hunter are inseparable. They sleep together, eat together, go to school together and play together. They are very rarely apart and for that short amount of time, they are constantly looking for each other. Hunter carries to school the things that Caden can no longer bear on his spine. He retrieves items Caden drops in the event that Caden is wheelchair bound. He opens doors when Caden cannot. Not only has Hunter prevented Caden from falling and fracturing but he has given him a kind of independence that he has never known before. He walks confidently with one hand on his dog. He navigates through crowds without having to holding my hand. He walks, feeds, corrects and rewards his dog. Hunter has given him the ability to be more himself and not just the-kid-that-breaks-easily.
When he was a baby, I felt paralyzed with fear for what dangers he would have to face in the world. Now, I see the world open up a little more for him ... to make way for the dog at his side.
- Z Amador 2014

We've only had Samson 10 months and life as we know it has completely changed. He's more than a service dog, he's taken on the persona of an older brother. Day one (literally) my child wakes up sick and Samson is there. Apparently he doesn't do bodily fluids, but when I finished cleaning up I found him in the bed watching over my son . In that moment I knew he was the one.
Samson is extremely smart, patient, and kind, and Mason loves to be with him at all times- be it in the bathtub or on the kitchen floor. Subsequently, my son's language and communication skills have improved. I love to see them playing (something he has yet to do with other children) and spontaneously he begins to speak. In ten months Samson has accomplished the results six years of speech therapy had not. Whatever the future may bring, I know he'll be there watching over him. A friend and companion continually aiding him to independence.

Khasan G.

VIP service dogs is very special to me.I was working with them as a volunteer when my beloved dog Bogart died. Being disabled myself this hit me very hard, it wasn't very long after that I spent 15 days in the hospital. To make a long and painful short story short one night the group presented me with Moose. They're trying to get me back on that horse that threw me off by training the new service dog. After say no many times I said yes. At that time I didn't want to fall in love with another dog I was just sad. But because of their sneaky efforts I now have Moose. Because of them and the gift of Moose I was saved, they saw what I needed and then make sure that I got it.
Trena Yarmat

I have been fostering for VIP Service Dog Foundation for almost a year now. In that time my husband and I have fostered three dogs, two of which have already been placed with their handlers. We have loved opening up our home to these dogs. It is very rewarding to train with them and watch them progress over time. It’s a great feeling to know that the dogs will go on to make such a positive impact on someone’s life. My experience as a foster has been both fun and fulfilling!

VIP Service Dog Foster Family,

Shirley , Steve , Lindsey, David, Melissa and Stephanie

Hi. Thought you might enjoy seeing a picture of Zoro. He continues to be a wonderful companion to Jacob. And a great addition to our family. We love him so much. My husband works out of town a lot and I am never afraid with Zoro around. His bark is so mighty and he is a true protector.

Laura Miller

Artilce in a St. Charles IL Paper written about the Family Fun Fest

The highlight of the morning entertainment at the DuPage Expo Center was a presentation from the Oswego-based Very Important Pooches Service Dog Foundation. With five dogs in tow, including a male German Shepherd named Taz, volunteer trainers explained the value of service dogs. A trained dog can provide companionship to senior citizens, assistance to people in wheelchairs and a calming influence for children with autism. Because of what the dogs provide, federal law grants service dogs special access to restaurants, hotels, stores and sports facilities that other dogs, such as those kept as pets, don't have, the volunteers explained.

The nonprofit foundation trains and provides service and companion dogs to people with developmental or physical disabilities. The foundation works to provide the dogs free to military veterans.